Can-soldering machine



(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. T. PILLINGS. CAN SOL DERING MACHINE.

Patented Oct. 20, 1896.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. T. PILLINGS. CAN SOLDERING MACHINE.

No. 569,765. Patented 0013.20, 1896.

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UNITED STATES GEORGE T. PILLINGS,

PATENT rrrcn.

OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN G. BECK,

OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

CAN-SOLDERING MACHlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,765, dated October 20, 1896.

Application filed February 20, 1895. Serial No. 580,065. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. PILLINcs, a citizen of the United States, residing at (Jincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Soldering Machines, of

' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to m achines for soldering the longitudinal seams of cylindrical or other cans or vessels, and has for its object more especially to provide a soldering clamp or horn having gages so arranged that the can or vessel blank will be tru ed, and the seam of the completed can or vessel, when delivered from the machine, will have a uniform lap throughout.

The invention is designed to be used either by a single operator or two or more operators. In the latter case a revolving table is employed, in which the device or a series of the said devices are arranged upon the table.

My said invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts, all of which I will now proceed to point out and describe, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the machine sufficient to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 8 is a front elevation, and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are sectional views taken on the line a: 00 of Fig. l, the parts being shown in different positions to illustrate the manner in which the machine is used.

In the said drawings, 1 indicates the bedplate of the device, bolted or otherwise attached to a suitable table 2, as shown. Pivotally mounted in suitable bearings 3 on said bed-plate is a lever 4:, having interposed be tween its rear end and the table 2 a strong spring 5, adapted to normally force said rear end upward. Also connected to said rear end of the lever l is a suitable connection 6, passing down through an aperture in the table and connected at its lower end to a foottreadle 7 of any suitable construction, the two adapted to depress the rear end of the lever l against the tension of the spring 5. Also mounted on the table 2 is a stop 8, against which the rear end of the lever & will strike when depressed, thus limiting the downward movement of said lever.

Projecting horizontally from the front side of the bed-plate 1 and beyond the edge of the table is what I term a horn 9, of a length substantially equal to that of the can or vessel to be soldered, having its upper face of suitable contour to form a bed or support for the can edges. Mounted in vertical apertures 10 in said horn, and normally projecting somewhat above the top surface thereof, are a series of depressible gages 11. These gages are each provided with a collar 12, formed integral therewith and adapted to engage with a shoulder 13 in its aperture 10. The lower end of said aperture is screw- -threaded, as shown, to receive the screwthreaded nut 14, the latter being centrally apertured to receive the lower end of its gage 11. Inter-posed between the collar 12 on the gage 11 and the upper end of the nut 14: is a spiral spring 15, the function of which is to press the gage upward, so that the collar 12 thereon will normally abut against the shoulder 18 in the aperture 10. \Vhen in this position, the upper end of the gage 11 will project above the upper face of the horn 9.

The front end of the lever at normally lies parallel with the horn 9 and somewhat to one side of the longitudinal center thereof, and has adjustably attached to it a clampingknife 16, adapted to contact with the depressible gages 11 in said horn. By making this clamping-knife adjustable on the lever 4 the same may be adjusted to fit accurately against the upper surface of the horn. As shown, the knife 16 is connected to the lever at by a central screw or bolt 16*, which renders it selfadjusting on the horn 9. Pivoted to said lever 4 a little in front of its pivotal point and 011 the same side thereof as the clampingknife 16 is an additional gage 17, adapted, when in its lowermost position, to lie upon the upper surface of the horn 9 parallel with the clamping-knife 16. This gage is provided at its front end with a U-shaped extension 18, adapted to embrace the front end of the lever 4, but cut out sufficiently to permit said lever and its attached clamping-knife to be raised free from the horn 9 and the depressible gages 11 before the two will contact. This U-shaped extension is intended to raise the pivoted gage 17 from the surface of the horn 9 at the instant the clamping-knife 16 leaves the depressible gages 11 and also to act as a guide for the front end of the pivoted gage to prevent any possible lateral movement. Also fixed to the inner side of said gage 17 near its pivotal point is a downwardly-projecting lip 19, adapted to lie in an opening 20 in the horn 9 when said gage is in its lowermost position.

The operation of my invention is as follows: hen the side seam of a can is to be soldered, the operator, located in front of the table, will raise the front end of the lever 4 and its attached clamping-knife l6 and gage 17 by depressing the treadle 7, so that the clamping-knife will be raised clear of the depressible gages 11 and gage 17 clear of the horn 9, the stop 8 permitting this much movement to the lever, but preferably no more. Now with the previously-curved can body or blank held in both hands the operator passes the underlap edge thereof with his right hand over the top surface of the horn 9 until the longitudinal edge of the blank comes in contact with the depressible gages 11, as shown in Fig. 4:. The operator then passes the overlap edge of the blank between the raised clamping-knife 16 and the depressihle gages 11 until its longitudinal edge abuts against the inner edge of the pivoted gage 17, thus I overlapping the underlap edge of the blank,

it being understood that there is left between the adjacent faces of the clamping-knife 16 and the pivoted gage 17 a small space about equal to the required lap. Vhen the two edges of the blank are in this position, the rear ends of the lap should be against the lip or end gage 19. Now by releasing the treadle the clamping-knife 16 by the spring 5 will be forcibly pressed upon and clamp the two edges of the blank in their adjusted overlapped position ready for soldering, the depressible gages 11 being at the same time forced by the pressure down into the horn 9. The pivoted gage 17 is now thrown back and the overlapped edge of the blank is exposed ready for soldering.

IVhile in the above description I have confined myself to the description of a single clamping devices thereon one operator may clamp the blanks while another operator on the other side of the table will solder the same as the table is rotated, the first-named operator removing the soldered blanks as the clamp ing devices come back to him in the rotation of the table.

It will be apparent that various changes in the mechanical details of construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. Thus, for instance, instead of the depressible springpin gages in the horn I may use a single depressible gage long enough to true the edge of the blank, said gage being seated in a slot in the horn and sustained by one or more springs.

Therefore, without limiting myself to the precise form shown and described, I claim- 1. In a can-soldering machine, the combination with a blank-receiving horn, of one or more depressible gages therein adapted to gage and true the underlap edge of the blank, a movable gage for gaging and truing the overlap edge of said blank, and means for retainin g said adjusted edges in position for sol dering after being gaged and trued, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a can-soldering machine, the combination with a blank-receiving horn, of one or more depressible gages therein adapted to gage and true the underlap edge of the blank, a pivoted gage for gaging and truing the overlap edge of said blank, and a pivoted spring-pressed lever carrying a clampingknife adapted to retain said adjusted edges in position for soldering after being gaged and trued, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a can-soldering machine, the combi nation with a blank-receiving horn, of one or more depressible gages therein adapted to gage and true the underlap edge of the blank, a pivoted gage for gaging and truing the overlap edge of said blank, a pivoted springpressed lever carrying a clamping -knife adapted to retain said adjusted edges in position for soldering after being gaged and trued, and means for raising said lever and clamping-knife against the tension of said spring while the edges of the blank are being adjusted, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a can-soldering machine, the combination with a blank-receiving horn, a series of depressible gages therein adapted to gage and true the underlap edge of the blank, and means for retaining the adjusted edges of the blank in position to be soldered, of a pivoted gage adapted to gage and true the overlap edge of the blank and to be then turned back out of the way to permit free access to said overlap edge for the purpose of soldering the same, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a can-soldering machine, the combination with a blank-receiving horn, one or more depressible gages therein adapted to gage and true the underlap edge of the blank, and a pivoted lever carrying a clamping-knife for retaining the adjusted edges of the blank in position for soldering, of a gage pivoted to the lever for gaging and truing the overlap edge of the blank, and an auxiliary gage carried by said pivoted gage for gaging and truing the ends of the blank, substantially as shown and described. I0

In testimony whereof I EtffiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE T. PILLINGS. WVitnesses:

F. VAN DUZEN, J. H. PILLINGS. 

